This is an album of Bach lute suites for alto guitar, from the Finnish guitarist Vesa Lassila. The release notes say it is unclear whether Bach’s lute suites were written for a lute-harpsichord, or even a harp, and on this collection Lassila presents his own arrangements.

While the album is aimed at fans of classical guitar or Bach, it’s a fair bet that the nice people on the Diversions label are hoping for some crossover, for fans who like, say, a complex guitar arrangement of Toploader’s “Dancing in the Moonlight” and think its combination of pop melody and classical style noodling is good. This is not a criticism of either them or anyone who has done a pleasant arrangement of “Moonlight”, just an attempt to portray what this album sounds like.

It’s about as far from imposing classical music as it’s possible to get without turning into a period movie’s pastiche of music of that era. It’s Bach, so you get the pleasing patterns and repetition, there is plenty of melody and Lassila is obviously a good player.

Opener the Suite in C Minor (Original G Minor), BWV 995, is the most classical sounding, being from a transcription in Bach’s hand of his Cello Suite, No. 5, BWV 1011. By the end of the second CD (an hour 41 in total) it’s gone a little generic-pleasant, but makes for some nice background or relaxing music.

It’s quite an intimate sound — you can hear Lassila breathing and his fingers on the strings, which on headphones makes it seem as if he’s playing a live house gig just for you.

For guitarheads: the album features an instrument created by Finnish luthier Keijo Krelin in 2009, and “provides a rich and powerful bass register alongside a light descant and clear voice, bridging the gap between modern sounds and historic authenticity”.

This is out on Diversions, DDV 24173.